Dianthus plant named ‘Cranberry Cocktail’

ABSTRACT

A new and unique plant cultivar of perennial carnation or pinks,  Dianthus  plant named ‘Cranberry Cocktail’ with numerous, large, fully-double, fragrant flowers, on well-branched stems having up to 8 flowers per stem. Petals are hot magenta pink with coarse serrations. Plant has vigorous compact habit with gray-green foliage. The petals have a margin of light pink becoming nearly white.  Dianthus  ‘Cranberry Cocktail’ is tolerant of high temperatures and resists center die-out.

Botanical denomination: Dianthus hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘Cranberry Cocktail’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar ofcarnation or pinks from the genus Dianthus and given the cultivar name‘Cranberry Cocktail’ previously known only internally by the breedercode 11-137-01. The new plant was the result of an intentional cross onMay 19, 2011 by the inventor between Dianthus ‘WP Passion’ U.S. PlantPat. No. 20,440 as the female or seed parent and ‘Devon Flavia’ U.S.Plant Pat. No. 15,903 as the male or pollen parent. Seeds of the crosswere harvested Jun. 21, 2011. The new hybrid was first isolated fromtrials at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. during thesummer of 2012 as a single seedling clone and given the breeder number11-137-01 during the remaining evaluation processes. Dianthus ‘CranberryCocktail’ has been asexually propagated at the same nursery in Zeeland,Mich. since 2012 using traditional shoot tip cutting procedures andfound to reproduce plants that are identical and exhibit all thecharacteristics of the original plant.

No plants of Dianthus ‘Cranberry Cocktail’ have been sold in thiscountry, or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing of thisapplication, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made prior tothe filing of this application with the exception of that which wasdisclosed within one year of the filing of this application and waseither derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has not been evaluated under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations inenvironment including: growing temperature, available sunlight,nutrients, water, etc. without a change in the genotype of the plant.

Comparing the new plant with the female parent, ‘WP Passion’, the newplant has a more mounded and less upright habit, larger flowers withmore petals, and the petal color is more red-purple than red. Comparedto the male parent, ‘Devon Flavia’, the new plant is more broad inhabit, has larger flowers with more petals and the petal color is adeeper hot magenta pink. Other similar Dianthus include: ‘WaterlooSunset’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,080, and ‘Starlette’ U.S. Plant Pat. No.21,438. Dianthus ‘Cranberry Cocktail’ produces more flowers per pedunclethan all of the above, with large flowers of hot magenta pink.

Table 1 below shows further comparisons.

TABLE 1 CULTIVAR Leaf color Flower color Habit Size (H × W) ‘Cranberrygray-green hot magenta- mounded 28 cm × 30 cm Cocktail’ pink ‘DevonFlavia’ blue-green sugar pink compact 30 cm × 15 cm ‘Waterloo Sunset’gray-green magenta-red upright 55 cm × 28 cm ‘WP Passion’ gray-greendeep red upright 35 cm × 25 cm ‘Starlette’ gray-green raspberry- compact28 cm × 22 cm pink CULTIVAR # Petals Ground petal color Petal band‘Cranberry Cocktail’ 40-54 61A-61B none ‘Devon Flavia’ 25-40 62Breddish-purple ‘Waterloo Sunset’ 20-40 63B 61C ‘WP Passion’ 20-30 46A,53A none ‘Starlette’ 15-20 70B none

Dianthus ‘Cranberry Cocktail’ is distinct from its parents and all otherDianthus known to the applicant in the following combined traits:

-   -   1. Fully-double flowers with numerous overlapping petals of hot        magenta pink.    -   2. Petals having a serrated apex.    -   3. Numerous flowers per peduncle with many flowers on heavily        branched stems.    -   4. Large flower size producing a sweetly spicy fragrance.    -   5. High heat tolerance with no vernalization required for flower        production.    -   6. Floriferous, vigorous, with compact habit and finely-textured        gray-green foliage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new invention demonstrate the overall appearanceof the plant including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Some slight variation ofcolor may occur as a result of lighting quality, intensity, wavelength,direction or reflection.

FIG. 1 s a close-up of the flowers and buds.

FIG. 2 shows the habit of the plant in mid-season flowering.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed description of the new plant is based onobservations of two-year old plants in greenhouse-grown containers at anursery in Zeeland, Mich. with light shade, supplemental watering, lightadditions of fertilizer and free of other plant growth regulators. Allcolor usage is in accordance with the 2001 edition of The RoyalHorticultural Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms areused.

-   Botanical classification: Dianthus hybrid.-   Parentage: ‘WP Passion’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,440 as the female or    seed parent and ‘Devon Flavia’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,903 as the    male or pollen parent.-   Plant description:    -   -   Habit.—Caespitose, herbaceous, evergreen perennial; stems            and peduncles branched, erect to arching with weight, number            and size of flowers; height of foliage about 16.0 cm and            about 30.0 cm across; height in flower is about 28.0 cm.        -   Root system.—Fine, fibrous; color nearest RHS 155D.        -   Vigor.—Good, spring planted plugs finish in 3.8 liter pots            in seven to eight weeks.-   Foliage:    -   -   Leaf type.—Simple, linear, opposite, decussate, sessile,            glabrous, glaucous on adaxial and abaxial; margin entire to            microscopically serrulate; acute apex; base decurrent,            adpressed along stem and slightly perfoliate; no fragrance            detected.        -   Leaf dimensions.—To about 9.5 cm long and about 5.0 mm wide,            average about 6.8 cm long and 4.0 mm wide.        -   Leaf color.—Young expanding leaves abaxial and adaxial            between RHS N138A and RHS N138B; mature adaxial nearest RHS            139A and abaxial between RHS N138A and RHS 139A.        -   Venation.—Not pronounced; obscurely pinnate, coloration same            as that of leaf top and bottom.-   Stems: Beginning erect and becoming arching with development of    flowers; terete, glabrous, glaucous, branching at alternate nodes;    about 16 per plant.    -   -   Stem size.—About 20.0 cm long and about 4.0 mm wide at base.        -   Stem color.—Nearest RHS N138C.        -   Branching.—Numerous; typically alternate, from upper and            lower leaf axils; about 12 per main stem and about 200 per            plant; branch size average about 6.5 cm at time of initial            flowering.        -   Nodes.—About 4.0 mm across; color nearest RHS 142D.        -   Internodes.—Average about 1.8 cm apart depending on growing            temperature, shorter in cooler conditions.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Terminal, cymose; salverform; actinomophic; completely            double.        -   Attitude.—Upright to slightly arching.        -   Dimension.—About 6.0 cm across and extending about 23.0 mm            above calyx tube.        -   Flowers per stem.—Four to eight.        -   Pedicel.—Glaucous, glabrous, terete.        -   Pedicel size.—Terminal flower about 3.5 mm long and about            2.0 mm diameter; other flowers average about 17.0 mm long            and 1.5 mm diameter.        -   Pedicel color.—Nearest RHS N138D.        -   Flower bud one day prior to opening.—Glaucous, glabrous,            ellipsoid with rounded apex and rounded base.        -   Flower bud size.—One day prior to opening — about 2.8 cm            long and about 1.4 cm wide; while petals still enclosed in            calyx — about 2.0 cm long and about 12.0 mm wide.        -   Flower bud color.—While still enclosed in calyx — between            RHS 137A and RHS N138A at apex and RHS 145A at base; with            petals exposed and still tight — petals nearest RHS 61A at            apex and next to calyx nearest RHS 155D and calyx same as            while petals still enclosed in calyx.        -   Flower period.—Beginning late spring and repeating in early            fall; effective about four weeks per flowering season.        -   Flower fragrance.—Light, sweet spicy, clove-like.        -   Flower lasting quality.—About ten days on or cut from plant.        -   Petals.—Glabrous; 40 to 54 per flower, with as many as ten            petals split in the distal 42.0 to 40.0 mm of the claw and            the limb with distal claw separated; consisting of a rounded            blade or limb and a claw, outer petals with broader and more            rounded limb; limb and claw combined are obovate with long            tapered claw; apex and margin with coarse dentations 3.0 mm            deep; limb bent outwardly in distal 18.0 mm to nearly a            ninety degree angle; claw tapering to truncate base about            1.0 mm across; persistent.        -   Petal color.—Petal limb abaxial base nearest RHS 64D,            adaxial base nearest RHS N66D; abaxial and adaxial main limb            between RHS 61A and RHS 61B with slightly darker veins of            nearest RHS 61A; petal claw abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS            145C with 2.0 mm transition between claw and limb lighter            than RHS 155D.        -   Petal dimension.—Size to about 44.0 mm long and 25.0 mm            across at widest part of limb, average about 40.0 mm long            and about 20.0 mm wide; claw portion average about 18.0 mm            long and about 1.0 mm at base; limb portion average about            22.0 mm long and 20.0 mm wide.        -   Calyx.—Glabrous, glaucous; margins entire; consisting of            five sepals with acute apex and fused base forming            five-toothed corolla tube fused in proximal 1.7 cm;            individually about 2.2 cm long and about 0.7 cm across;            campanulate to about 22.0 mm long and about 12.0 mm in            diameter.        -   Calyx color.—Abaxial between RHS 137A and RHS N138A at apex            and RHS 145A at base; adaxial between RHS 145B and RHS 146D;            0.5 mm wide margins both adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS            158B.        -   Peduncle.—Glabrous, glaucous, terete, about 25.0 cm long and            about 4.0 mm diameter at base.        -   Peduncle color.—Nearest RHS N138C.        -   Bracts.—Two, opposite, glaucous, glabrous; sessile margin            entire, broadly obtuse to deltoid with broadly acute apex;            about 9.0 mm long and 10.0 mm wide.        -   Bract color.—Abaxial and adaxial distally nearest RHS 139A            and proximally nearest RHS 145B; margins of about 0.5 mm            both sides nearest RHS 158B.        -   Bracteoles.—Two; glaucous, glabrous; margins entire;            opposite and at 90 degrees offset from and frequently just            inside bracts; broadly obtuse to deltoid with broadly acute            apex; sessile bases joined at stem; about 8.0 mm long and            8.0 mm wide.        -   Bracteoles color.—Abaxial and adaxial distally nearest RHS            139A, adaxial and abaxial basal portion between RHS 145B and            RHS 145C, margins transparent.        -   Androecium.—Up to twelve stamens, typically not fully            formed. Filaments: variable in length from 0.8 cm to 2.4 cm            long, less than about 1.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS            155A in basal three quarters and lighter than RHS 72D in            distal one quarter. Anther: rare; sagittate to irregular,            dorsifixed; typically not fully formed; about 2.0 mm long            and about 1.0 mm wide; color nearest RHS186D. Pollen: not            observed.        -   Gynoecium.—Style: typically split in two just above ovary.            Pistil: glabrous abaxial surface and puberulent adaxial            surface; irregularly curled; about 2.0 cm long and about 1.0            mm diameter; color much lighter than RHS 72D only on adaxial            side. Stigma: puberulent; about 1.0 cm long and 1.0 mm wide;            irregularly curled; color nearest RHS 72D. Ovary: superior;            ellipsoid-shaped; about 9.0 mm long and 5.0 mm wide; surface            texture glabrous and nitid; color between RHS 145B and RHS            145C.-   Fruit: Capsule; ovoid to cylindrical; opening by 4 teeth; about 2 cm    long and 8.5 mm diameter; color between RHS 164B and RHS 164A when    dried.-   Seed: Not observed.-   Disease resistance: The new plant is resistance to center die out    from fungus or high temperatures. The plant grows best with adequate    moisture and well-drained soil, but is able to tolerate high    temperatures and some drought once established. Hardiness at least    from USDA zone 4 through zone 9.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Dianthus plant named ‘Cranberry Cocktail’essentially as herein described and illustrated.